"Don't overdue it, Kuro-chan," Fai cautioned merrily, the tone itself making Kurogane's head hurt because Fai was always so damned happy. "Remember, you have to do at least another coat." His smile faded just a bit, going from radiant good cheer to something more like polite.

Kurogane grunted in response, dipping his roller back into the red paint. Why had they picked such a color for a room? His mouth twisted in distaste. Not that he'd know anything about decorating a sitting room, but seeing as how he had to paint it, shouldn't he have gotten to pick the color?

"Why do I agree to these things?" he muttered to himself. He lifted the roller to the ceiling and started his first coat. "How do I get myself into these... shut up, idiot, I don't want you to answer me."

"Kuro-puu!" He could feel Fai's feigned wilt. "I was just going to say that if it weren't for you getting blood all over our hostess's wall, it wouldn't need a new coat of paint."

"No/," Kurogane corrected tightly, "if it weren't for /your claim that I would be /delighted to repaint the room/, I wouldn't be doing this. Besides," he added, looking over his shoulder at the blond, "I stopped the burglar, didn't I? And all I did was punch him in the nose. It's not like I beat him to a bloody pulp."

"Nevertheless," Fai waved his hand dramatically, "he hit the wall with his bloody nose and it stained. Syaoran worked hard to get rid of most of the stain, you know. The least you can do is clean up the rest of your mess." The wizard spun in a full circle, then stopped and brought a hand to his chin. "This color could really work, depending on the furniture."

"You know what else could really work?" Kurogane snarled. "/You/, if you stopped lying around and pitched in. You aren't doing anything else."

"I'm keeping you company, Kuro-rin!"

"Working would help me tolerate your company, you damned fool." Kurogane shook his head, irritated. It wasn't that Fai annoyed him all the time. He just didn't want to know what would happen if Fai ever found out that Kurogane sometimes found his antics amusing. Sometimes. Only sometimes. And not now, you damn lazy wizard.

"Kuro-po is so mean!" Fai sounded wounded, but Kurogane knew better and kept painting. "Kuro-sama, you know I hate manual labor!" Kurogane ignored him resolutely. After a few moments had passed, he heard the wizard sigh. "Fine, then. If you're going to be that way, I'll help. I'll... make tea."

"Or paint," Kurogane suggested flatly. "You can paint."

"Or paint," Fai acquiesced, crestfallen. "I suppose I can paint."

Kurogane stared at him until he actually crouched his long body down far enough to make a grab for one of the brushes. Satisfied, Kurogane turned back to his own task. He was making good progress, considering Fai's verbal distractions and stupid nicknames.

"All done!" Fai pronounced, and Kurogane heard the wizard toss his brush back onto the paper covering the floor.

"What are you talking ab--!" Kurogane froze, hands tightening around his roller's handle. "Fai," he growled, staring at the message on the opposite wall, "I am going to take this roller, and stick it up your--"

"Oh, Kuro-rin is angry!" Fai feigned horror but still looked amused, and was quick to make his escape. Kurogane dropped his roller and gave chase, but knew he wouldn't be able to catch the wizard. After all, he had to make sure he painted over Fai's scribbling before Syaoran, Sakura, and their host returned to the house.

Kuro-pin &#9829; Fai. Kurogane didn't even want to know when Fai had gone through the trouble of learning how to write Kurogane's name.